


A Day at the Fair

by bonesque (darthrhaegar)



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-26 14:44:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7578148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darthrhaegar/pseuds/bonesque
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim babysits Joanna and takes her to the fair. Just fluff and very short.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Day at the Fair

**Author's Note:**

> pls ignore how terrible this is i don't normally write fic and i wrote this like 2 years ago?? i figured i might as well post it since all i do is bookmark things on here whoops. maybe i'll try writing more soon.

The only time Jim had ever been to a fair was on Tarsus, just before the famine hit. Granted, it wasn't a very large or impressive fair, but there were stalls with food and games set up, and it was a nice reprieve for the worn out colonists. He spent one night there walking around with his cousins and friends, eating cotton candy and trying to win stuffed animals. It was one of the few good memories he had from Tarsus.

So, naturally, when Leonard got called into the clinic and asked him to take Joanna to the fair for him, he agreed, despite his misgivings about being trusted with the six year old for a whole night. When Leonard saw his hesitant look, he just smiled and gave Jim a rare kiss before rushing out the door.

Soon enough, Joanna stumbled out of Leonard's room after her afternoon nap, rubbing her eyes blearily. Leonard had briefly woken her up to giver her a kiss goodbye.

"Hey kiddo," Jim said, ruffling her sleep mussed hair. "Want some dinner before we head to the fair?"

"I thought Daddy was taking me," Joanna pouted.

"He really wanted to, but he got called into work. So you're going to go with me instead," Jim replied with a small smile. Joanna had taken to him quickly, despite Jim's anxiety the week before she arrived.

"Okay," she agreed dutifully, eating the sandwich Jim made for her. Before long, he had bundled her up and they were off.

Once they arrived at the fair, Joanna perked up, grabbing Jim's hand and pulling him from stall to stall. The fair in San Francisco was much more impressive than the one Jim remembered on Tarsus. There were people everywhere, and he held tight to Joanna, fearful of losing her in the crowd. There were more food stalls than he knew what to do with, and at Joanna's insistence, bought them a funnel cake to share. 

Jim mostly let Joanna lead the way, just taking in the sights and sounds of the activity around him. The air was full of the smell of fried food, and they would occasionally pass by a live band playing. They stopped at a throwing dart stall where Jim won a large stuffed bear for Joanna. Joanna seemed content to just wander around, stopping occasionally at stalls, such as the one where she and Jim both got their faces painted.

"Uncle Jim, Uncle Jim!" Joanna eventually shrieked and pulled him towards the Ferris Wheel. Jim hadn't even noticed that they had already made their way around most of the fairgrounds, too absorbed in watching Joanna marvel at the activity around them. 

"One ride, and then it's time for us to start heading back," he said with a wink, noticing the growing dusk.

"One ride and ice cream," she bargained. Unable to resist her, Jim agreed and led her towards the Ferris wheel. 

Only once they were seated and looking out at the fair did Jim allow himself to think about that night on Tarsus. He was only twelve at the time, rushing around excitedly with his friends. He remembered winning a stuffed dog for his younger cousin Delia, who was the same age as Joanna was now. She, like the rest of his family and so many others, did not survive Tarsus. That night at the fair was one of the last memories he had of them. 

"Uncle Jim?" Joanna asked, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Are you my Daddy's boyfriend?"

"What?" Jim asked, startled, looking down into her somber eyes.

"Because it's okay if you are," she said, with all the seriousness of a six year old. "My daddy smiles when he's with you. He never smiled like that with Mommy."

Jim couldn't muster up an answer. He had known that Leonard's relationship with Jocelyn was rough, but it was painful to hear it from Joanna, who had only been three at the time and couldn't have possibly understood what was going on, except for the fact that her parents were unhappy. 

"Your dad is my best friend," he said cautiously. The truth was, they had been something more than friends for two months, but had never actually talked about it or put a label on it. Jim knew it was more than just sex, but he didn't think that Leonard would want to be in an actual relationship with him, despite the occasional affection Leonard showed him. Jim had never really had a serious relationship and didn't trust himself enough to make Leonard happy, especially after the disaster with Jocelyn. So he just left it as it was, they were just friends who also happened to have sex. Often. Leonard didn't need to know that Jim hadn't been with anyone else since the moment he first kissed him. 

"Okay," Joanna said, side-eying Jim as if she didn't really believe him. And that seemed to be the end of that conversation, but it left Jim in a pensive mood.

Jim managed to distract Joanna with ice cream long enough to get her out of the fairground and into a waiting taxi. By the time they made it back to Leonard and Jim's shared apartment, she had crashed, and Jim roused her enough for her to brush her teeth and get into bed.

"'Night Uncle Jim," she murmured, falling asleep almost as soon as he tucked her under her covers, arms wrapped around her new stuffed bear.

"Goodnight, Jo bean," he whispered with a kiss to her forehead. He was shocked with how much affection he had for this little girl after only a few days. But she was Leonard's, and Jim loved everything that was his. 

Jim laid out across the couch reading a book on warp theory until Leonard came home. He hadn't even realized he had dozed off until Leonard was gently shaking his shoulder.

"Hey," Leonard said softly once he saw that Jim was awake. 

"Hey Bones," Jim smiled in return. 

"How was the fair?" Leonard asked, kicking off his shoes to curl next to Jim on the couch.

"It was amazing," Jim replied, snuggling into his chest, breathing in Leonard's scent. "Joanna loved it."

"That's good to hear," Leonard said, smiling down at Jim.

"You know, she asked me something tonight," Jim said tentatively, terrified of what Bones would say, but not wanting to get rejected through Joanna. He was tired of waiting, of being too afraid, to have this conversation. 

"And what was that, darlin?" Leonard breathed, running his fingers through Jim's hair, surprisingly tender, almost as though he seemed to know what Jim would say next.

"She asked me if we were together," Jim said, forcing the words out. "I was surprised that you trusted me with her, you know."

"Of course I trusted you with her," Leonard murmured into Jim's temple as he pressed a light kiss to the side of Jim's head. "I would trust you with anything." He pulled at Jim's chin, gently, so that he met his eyes.

"No one's ever trusted me like you do," Jim said, the pain showing in his eyes. He understood what Leonard was saying without him having to say it. He always could.

"Give me a chance, Jim. Let me show you. Trust me too," Leonard whispered, hazel eyes never leaving Jim's.

"Okay," Jim whispered, pulling him in for a tender kiss. They sat like that for a long time, just holding each other, both relieved that they were finally honest with each other. Until a sleepy voice broke the silence, still clutching her teddy bear.

"Does this mean you're boyfriends now?"


End file.
